Flow meter



Oct. 5 1926.

E. c. WALKER FLOW METER Filed Nov. 8, 1920 IIG Il z3 wf/vrom ED WARD C WHL/451?,

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Patented Det. .5, 1926.

EDWARD C. WALKER, OF KINLOCK, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR T NATIONALI LEAD COM- Pm, OF NEW 'Y0] 3,K,`N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

FLOW METER.

Application filed November 8, 192i). Serial No. 422,682. i

This invention relates to a device rforindicating the rate of flow of the fluid.V Itl has been designed more particularly' for use in connection with the automatic welding machine-described in the application'Serial No. 85,795, .filed March 22, 1916, wherein the movement of the Welding tool )is controlled by controlling the rate of iiow of a .fluid inv a cylinder operatively kconnected with said tool.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide means indicating the rate of liow'v of a fluid so as to form. x f Further objects will appear from the demaintain said flow uni# taildescription taken in connection with the is brought to )the device. Thismay be the f discharge `pipe 'from the regulating cylinder ofthe apparatus described in the application mentioned above. The pipe 1l communicates with a regulating element comprising a chamber 2, the ends of which are formed into leizible diaphragms and 31. The

30. fluid enters the chamber 2 through the curved pipe 32. The terminal opening lofl the pipe 32'is normally closed by a valve plate 3 mounted upon the diaphragm 30. This v valve closes the pipe 32 when iiuidunder pressure fills .the chamber 2. This results from the expansion of the chamber 2 and 'the consequent se aration of the exiblfe diaphragms 30 an '3l upon which the pipe 32- and the valye 33 are mounted. A flow of fluid from the chamber 2 by Way ofthe ipe 3 will reduce the pressure in said cham er, thereby allowing the diaphragms 30 and 31 to approach each other, thus moving 'the valve 33 away from the end of the pipe 32 and allowing a further supply of fluid to enter. By this action, the pressure within the chamber 2 ma be regulated and maintained uniform. rom the regulating element, the fluid may be conducted as by prising a supply chamber 5 and a delive chamber 6 separated by a wall in whic thereis an orilice 7 pered plug 8 adjusta shank-9 threaded in to the neck 10 of the means of a pipe 3 to a`special valve 4 'compartially closed by a ta-v ly mounted -on a screw;

.valve 4 and carrying at its lower end, a cirl cular adjusting scale v11 and an operating head 12. An inde-2F13 for the scale 11 may be mounted on the valve body as'shown. The fluid may be conducted fromv the delivery chamber 6 by means of a pipe 14' toa reservoir 15and thence by means ofthe tube 16 to .the utilizing device 17 .shown in this case as an Oxy-acetylene welding tool, the device being arranged for regulating the flow of gas.

The supply chamber 5 communicates by means of a pipe 18 Witha liquid reservoir 19.A The gas reservoir v15 also communicates;

through, the gasA tube 20l with the liquid f reservoir 19 at a point below the surface of' the liquid contained therein. This reservoir also serves to accumulate liquid which may be forced up from the tube 20 under excessive variationsof pressure.

In operation, the pressure in the supply chamber 5 will be communicated -to the reservoir 19 at the surface of the liquid therein,

:while the pressure in the delivery chamber 6 will be communicated through the reservoir 1-5 and the gauge tube 20 to the chamber 19 at a point below the surface of the liquid there'- in. Since the supply pressure inthe chamber 5 will always be greater than the delivery pressure in thechamber 6, said supply pressure acting on the surface of the liquid in the reservoir- 191Will force said liquid up into the gauge tube 20 tosuch a height that the weight of the column of liquid in said gauge tube above the surface thereof in the reservoir 19 will be sutlicient to balance `the difference of pressure inthe two `chambers 5 and 6. A scale 21 adapted to indicate the height of the liquid'in the tube 20 may be calibrated to indicate saiddifference orv pressure.

Since the area of the orifice 7 is constant so long 4as the adjustment ofthe plug 8 is kept constant, the rate of flow through said orifice will correspond exactly to the difference of pressure in the .two chambers 5 and 6 and since this difference of pressure is indicated bythe height of the liquid column in the ,tube 20, the scale 21 may, if desired,

belcalibrated to read directly the `rate of iiow. `By adjusting the plugl8, a given vrate of flow may be'adjusted to a certain point of indication upon the scale 21 s`o that such adjustment of the plug 8 may be used' f or properly fitting or calibrating the scale 21.

form flow of fluid therethrough and that the rate of said flow' will be indicated by the height of the liquid column in the tube 20. The reservoir l5 also serves as a gas accumulation chamber to smooth out slight variations of pressure.

Itis obvious that various changes may be made in the details of construction without departing from the spirit of this invention;

4it is, therefore, to be understood that this invention 1s not to be limited to the specific fluid from said accumulation chamber, and

details shown and described.

Having thus described this invention, what is claimed is:

l. A device for indicating and controlling the flow of a fluid, comprising, a duct provided with a supply chamber and a delivery -z chamber connected by an orifice through which the .fluid flows, an enlarged accumulation chamber, a conduit leading from said delivery chamber to said accumulation chamber, an outlet conduit leading from saidaccumulation chamber, adapted to conduct the fluid from said accumulation chamber, and differential fluid pressure indicating means connected to said supply chamber on one side and to said accumulation chamber on the other side.

2. A devicefor indicating and controlling the flow of a fluid, comprising, a duct provided with a supply chamber and a delivery chamber connected byv an oriiice through which the fluid fiows, means for adjusting the size of said orifice, an enlarged'accumuchamber connected by -an orifice through whichmthe fluidv flows,"an enlarged accumu- 'lat'in chamber, a conduit leading from said delivery chamber to said accumulation chamber, an outlet conduit leadingv from sald accumulation chamber, adapted to conduct the means including a liquid column adapted to indicate the difference of fluid pressure betwen said supply chamber and said accumulation chamber. p

4. A device for indicating and controlling the fiowof a fluid, comprising, a duct pro-'i vided witha supply chamber and a delivery chamber connected by an orifice through which the fiuid flows, an enlarged accumulation chamber, means for regulating the flow of fluid to said supply chamber, a conduit leading from said delivery chamber'to said accumulation chamber, an outlet conduit leading from said `accumulation chamber, adapted topconduct the fiuid from said accumulation chamber, and differential fluid pressure indicating means connected to said supply chamber on one side and to said accumulation chamber on the other side'.

In testimony whereof I aiX my signature this 13th day of Sept., 1920.

- EDWARD C. WALKER. 

